Color and stain removers for



Patented Apr. 17, 1951 UNITED 'ENT OFFlE COLOR AND STAIN REMOVERS FOR FABRICS New Jersey No Drawing. Application July 16, 1949, Serial No. 105,264

2 Claims. (Cl. 252105) This application is a continuation in part of the co-pending application Serial No. 778,038, filed October 4, 1947 (now abandoned).

This invention relates to color removers and more particularly to dry, solid, color and stain removers for fabrics.

An object of this invention is to remove color from dyed fabrics preparatory to redyeing. v Another object of this invention is to provide *a color and stain remover which is particularly adapted for household use and which may be utilized efiectively by the non-professional.

While there are numerous dye removers adapted and sold for home use, many of these color removers do not remove color from all fabrics preparatory to redyeing. For example, some color removers, due to the presence of alkali, attack wool and swell and disintegrate some synthetic cellulose fabrics. Other household color removers do not remove the color from fabrics made of cellulose esters, particularly if the cellulose ester fabric is dyed with a dark color. These deficiencies of commercial household color removers are particularly disadvantageous when it is required to remove color from a garment composed of two different fabrics such as wool and rayon.

In accordance with this invention, color and stain removers are rovided which are adapted for household use and which effectively remove color from all types of fabrics whether the fabric be composed, for example, of cotton, cellulose esters, wool or rayon. The color of a wool garment having a rayon lining, for example, can be efiectively removed by the compositions of this invention from both fabrics simultaneously and without substantial damage to either fabric. Certain stains may likewise be removed by the compositions of this invention.

The compositions of this invention comprise 100 parts of basic zinc sulfoxylate formaldehyde, 37 to 41 parts, and preferably 39 parts, of oxalic acid, and 1 to 20 parts of a solid nitrogenous, organic cationic material, substantive to cellulosic materials, such as cellulose acetate, and having a substituent containing at least 12 carbon atoms. The compositions of this invention may be produced by dry mixing the basic zinc sulfoxylate formaldehyde, the oxalic acid and the solid, ni-

trogenous organic cationic material. The compositions are adapted to be readily dispersed in water by a housewife to produce a color and stain removing solution. Until the compositions are dispersed in water, they are not effective, and to facilitate the relatively quick dispersion of the color removing compositions, they are preferably dry mixed. Since the three gallon pail is a common household article, conveniently the amount of composition contained in a household package is sufiicient to form an effective color removing solution with about two and a half gallons of water, although other concentrations may be used. The composition, after dispersion in the water, is preferably heated to a temperature above 175 F., and the fabric is immersed completely in that solution. After the color has been sufficiently removed, the article is withdrawn from the bath, permitted to drain and thoroughly washed and rinsed in cold water.

By a cationic material is meant a material which, when dispersed in water, is capable of producing a relatively large organic cation, either by dissociation of the molecule per se or by hydrolysis of the reaction product of the material and the oxalic acid. For example, certain solid amine salts on dissolving in water produce these cations, and certain amine bases in water solution sometimes hydrolyze directly or combine with the oxalic acid to form an amine salt which in turn produces these cations.

having at least 16 carbon atoms, for example,

para diisobutyl phenoxyethoxy ethyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride, are especially satisfactory for this purpose.

The principal factors involved in determining the relative proportions required to produce a satisfactory dry color remover in accordance with this invention are the quantity of water in which the composition is to be dissolved, the tem- 'movers adapted for household use, the proportions of constituents may be varied to produce a composition which would be satisfactory for the removal of color from dyed fabrics and which would be adapted for dispersion in a definite quantity of water at'a definite temperature, the

dyed fabric being immersed in the solution=for a definite period of time. These latter three factors of quantity of water, time and temperature 3 could be fixed for a particular composition and indicated in the directions accompanying that composition. The compositions of this invention are capable of removing most dyes from fabrics regardless of the kind of fabric. While basic zinc sulfoxylate formaldehyde is capable of stripping a great number of fabrics, the presence of the oxalic acid within the concentration limits specified accelerates this stripping action and extends the stripping ability of the basic zinc sulfoxylate formaldehyde to include certain darkcolored cellulose acetates which are only very difficultly or not at all stripped by basic zinc sulfoxylate formaldehyde alone. This effect is particularly marked in the case of dark-dyed acetates.

The use of the cationic material specified extends this acceleration of stripping ability and improves the speed and extent of action on the most difiicultly stripped dark-dyed acetates. While the compositions of this invention are capable of stripping a great many fabrics, there are some fabrics or dyes which cannot be stripped by the compositions of this invention or by any other known means. Included in this latter category are fast-dyed cottons and resin-pigment printed textiles.

Examples of solid, nitrogenous organic cationic materials, being substantive to cellulosic materials, and having a substituent containing at least 12 carbon atoms are stearyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride, stearyl dibutyl benzyl ammonium chloride, stearyl tris (hydroxy ethyl) ammonium chloride, diisobutyl cresoxy ethoxy A dry household color and stain remover for fabrics was prepared by dry mixing the following in the quantities indicated:

50 grams basic zinc sulfoxylate formaldehyde 19.5 grams oxalic acid 2 grams para diisobutyl phenoxy ethoxy ethyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride This color and stain remover is adapted to be dispersed preferably in about two and one half gallons of water. For eifective results, the solution is heated to a temperature above 175 F. The color of dyed fabrics whether composed of cotton, wool, nylon or synthetic cellulosic esters was effectively removed by such solution before redyeing without any substantial detriment to the fabric. Example 2 A dry household color and dye remover was prepared by dry mixing the following ingredients:

50 grams basic zinc sulfoxylate formaldehyde 20 grams oxalic acid 6 grams stearyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride This dry composition may be dispersed in about two and one half gallons of water to form an effective color and stain removing solution.

Example 3 9 A dry household color and stain removing composition was prepared by dry mixing the following:

50 grams basic zinc sulfoxylate formaldehyde 18.5 grams oxalic acid 4 grams lauryl pyridinium chloride This composition was adapted for dispersion in about two and one half gallons of water to produce an effective color and stain removing solution.

Example 4 A dry household color and stain remover for fabrics was prepared by dry mixing the following:

50 grams basic zinc sulfoxylate formaldehyde 19.5 grams oxalic acid 5 grams 1hydroxyethyl2-heptadecenyl glyoxalidine hydrochloride This composition was adapted for dispersion in about two and one half gallons of water.

The terms and expressions which we have employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and we have no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any equivalents of the features described or portions thereof, but recognize that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A solid dry color and stain remover for fabrics consisting essentially of parts by Weight of basic zinc sulfoxylate formaldehyde, 37 to 41 parts by weight of oxalic acid, and 1 to 20 parts by weight ofpara diisobutyl phenoxy ethoxy ethyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride.

2. A solid dry color and stain remover for fabrics consisting essentially of 100 parts by weight of basic zinc sulfoxylate formaldehyde, 39 parts by weight of oxalic acid, and 1 to 20 parts by weight of para diisobutyl phenoxy ethoxy ethyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride.

CHESTER M. GOODING. ELLIOTT MORRILL. EUGENE D. SEITER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,524,737 Kritchevsky Feb. 3, 1925 2,003,928 Evans et al June 4,v 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 331,194 Great Britain June 23, 1930 

1. A SOLID DRY COLOR AND STAIN REMOVER FOR FABRICS CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF 100 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF BASIC SULFOXYLATE FORMALDEHYDE, 37 TO 41 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF OXALIC ACID, AND 1 TO 20 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF PARA DIISOBUTYL PHENOXY ETHOXY ETHYL DIMETHYL BENZYL AMMONIUM CHLORIDE. 